Feeling is believing. A system that uses sound waves to project 鈥渉aptic holograms鈥� into mid-air 鈥� letting you touch 3D virtual objects with your bare hands 鈥� is poised to bring virtual reality into the physical world.
Adding a sense of touch as well as sight and sound will make it easier to completely immerse yourself in VR. And the ability to feel the shape of virtual objects could let doctors use their hands to examine a lump detected by a CT scan, for example. What鈥檚 more, museum visitors could handle virtual replicas of priceless exhibits while the real thing remained safely behind glass.
and his colleagues at the University of Bristol, UK, improved on a previous version of their technology, which projected 2D outlines of map contours above a screen, for example. Now, high-frequency sound waves emitted by an array of tiny speakers create the sensation of touching an invisible, floating object. When the sound hits the hand, the force of the waves exerts pressure on the skin.
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Video: Sound sculpting lets you feel 3D holograms
To make the jump from outlines to full shapes, the team added a Leap Motion sensor to track the precise position of a user鈥檚 hands. Knowing where the hands are in relation to the virtual object means the system can direct ultrasound at the right time and frequency to produce the sensation of touching different parts of the object 鈥� the top, say, or the side. This creates the impression that you are exploring the surface of an object as you move your hands around in empty space.
鈥淲ithout haptics, it鈥檚 like you鈥檙e in a dream and you cannot feel the environment,鈥� says S茅bastien Kuntz of , VR developers in Paris, France. 鈥淵ou can only look at it, you don鈥檛 have any feedback.鈥�
So far, the researchers have tested several shapes, including spheres and pyramids. They appear to be gently vibrating in space, says Long. The level of detail in the virtual objects is limited, but using more, smaller, speakers should improve the resolution of what can be projected, says Long. The shapes do not need to be perfect to conjure an immersive experience, though. 鈥淓ven if there are discrepancies, the brain will bend what it sees and feels to fit the overall picture,鈥� says Kuntz.
The team says it has already been approached by companies interested in developing the technology for commercial applications. The work will be presented at interactive tech conference SIGGRAPH Asia in Shenzhen, China, on 3 December.
, technical director at Inition, a design studio in London, is also impressed by the technology. 鈥淭ouch is a missing element in virtual interfaces today,鈥� he says.
This article will appear in print under the headline 鈥淭ouching the void鈥�
